Migraine sufferers know the signs. Whether it begins with a throbbing headache, nausea, sensitivity to light or spans of aura, a migraine can quickly escalate and derail your day (and for some, even longer).

Frequent migraine suffers probably also know their triggers. Any number of deviations from your daily routine can set off a migraine – missing a meal, skimping on sleep or overdoing the alcohol or caffeine. And of course there are things completely out your control like stress, weather changes and travel that can trigger a migraine and what often seems the most inconvenient of times.

But the root causes of migraines aren’t understood, though research continues to explore various factors that play a role including heredity and the trigeminal nerve. Without a universally effective treatment, migraine sufferers are left navigating a hodgepodge of options. This often leads to a “try it ’til you find it” approach.

Many patients make changes to their diets and sleeping patterns in addition to regimenting a revolving door of medications to find the right combination that will stave off their headaches. Within the past several years, ancient approaches such as acupuncture have made a comeback, while new treatments and technologies are being marketed for migraine relief, such as Botox.

And now, a growing body of research has supported intravenous vitamin therapy as an effective treatment for migraine relief. Infusing critical vitamins and medicines directly into the bloodstream can stop acute migraines in their tracks, offering patients near-immediate relief from their symptoms. Chronic or frequent sufferers are also finding relief in ongoing treatments plans.

Our Migraine IV contains a blend of vitamins, minerals and medicines designed to curb symptoms and relieve pain. Among the most effective nutrients are magnesium and riboflavin, which have both proven to alleviate migraines in clinical trials.

Magnesium

It’s long been known that migraine patients tend to have lower levels of magnesium. But just within the last two decades, a number of clinical trials have demonstrated that supplementing magnesium reduce the frequency and severity of headaches.

In one study, over the course of 9–12 weeks patients who took oral magnesium supplements saw their attack frequency reduced by 41.6 percent, as opposed to 15.8 percent in the placebo group compared to the baseline – a significant difference.

Researchers are still exploring exactly how magnesium has such a dramatic effect. Evidence suggests that migraines are at least partially caused by inconsistencies in blood flow to the brain, while magnesium is thought to have an effect on blood vessels in the brain.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

Another interesting option for migraine treatment and prevention is riboflavin. While it has not been as heavily researched as magnesium, its efficacy has been demonstrated in a few key studies.

A 1998 trial studied the effects of riboflavin supplementation on 55 migraine patients, ultimately discovering that 59% of participants who supplemented for three months improved by at least 50%, as compared with 15% who improved as much among the placebo group. They observed reductions in migraine frequency and duration in the riboflavin group.

While migraine sufferers continue to work to find the best path forward, IV therapy is a new and promising option for more headache free days in the future.